Solace
by GennaWeasley
Summary: There were demigods long before Percy Jackson was even thought of. This tracks demigods through four major wars - American Revolution, Civil War, WWII and the Titan War.  T because it's a war story and there's, well, war.
1. Revolution

_A/N - The other day, an idea occurred to me. And it stuck in my brain. So I decided to write it out. Historical demigods, guys! Also the title... that'll make sense later._

Revolution

Abigail was running. She was always running.

Not that she was usually complaining. It was her favourite thing to do. She loved to play running games with her brothers, Thomas and John, while her mother and younger sister Anne watched disapprovingly.

Abigail laughed just imagining Anne's reaction if she could see Abby now. She was wearing boys' clothes - Thomas's, he was her height now and she could barely believe it - and her hair was a mess. Then she heard the growling of that _thing_ again and remembered the situation at hand.

Whatever it was, it had been chasing her since she'd stumbled across it two hours ago. She'd been running aimlessly between the trees since. It had claws and teeth and that had been enough to get her running.

She collided with something - _another tree, probably,_ Abigail thought. That is, she thought so until it talked.

"Are you alright?" a boy's voice asked. Abigail nodded.

"Never mind that, Will. Tell the boy to watch where he's going and let's keep moving," another male voice said.

Abigail stepped back and looked up at the two boys. Will, the one she had crashed into, had orangey red hair and was several inches taller than Abby. His companion was also taller than her, but not by very much, with brown hair and freckles.

"I'm Will," Will said. "What are you running from?"

She heard the growling again. "That," she responded, pointing behind her. Will was carrying a knife made of a metal she wasn't familiar with. She took it and, after calculating for a moment, she threw it at the monster.

It exploded into golden dust as the knife made contact with it.

"How did you _do_ that?" asked Will.

At the same moment, his companion asked, "What did you do to get a harpy chasing after you?"

"I'm not sure. I just… did," Abigail told Will. She turned to the other boy. "What did you call that thing?"

"It's a harpy," the boy said.

"Alright," she replied skeptically. "Well, we haven't been properly introduced. I'm Abigail, and I am in fact _not_ a boy."

Will laughed. The other boy said, "Sorry 'bout that. Name's Henry." He held out his hand.

Abigail shook it. "Now that we know each other's names, I feel more comfortable saying this - you're completely mad."

"I am not!" Henry replied.

"Harpies aren't real," Abigail said simply.

Will laughed. "That's what they all say. You saw it, Abigail."

Henry gasped. "Will. She _saw _it. She's the girl Joseph sent us for!"

"She could just be a clear-sighted mortal," Will reasoned.

"I've never seen an untrained _anyone_ pull off a throw like that. Much less a mortal," Henry said.

"Wait just a moment, what do you mean mortal? And Joseph? Do you mean Joseph Hill? Do you know where he disappeared to?" Abigail asked. "He was a good friend of mine, then he just vanished."

Simultaneously, the boys said, "It's her."

"You've got to come with us, Abigail," Will said.

"Where?" replied Abby suspiciously.

"Camp Half-Blood," Henry answered unhelpfully.

When Abby stared at them blankly, Will explained, "It's a place for, er, people like us."

"Like you?" Abby repeated.

"Like us," Henry corrected. "That includes you, Abigail."

* * *

><p>"… and they know Joseph, Tommy!" Abigail told her brother as she finished telling him about what had happened. "I'm going with them, Tommy."<p>

"Abby, you can't," Thomas said. "We need you here, and mother won't approve."

"I don't care what mother says. Father encourages me to be independent," Abigail told him. "They say I'm not safe here. And I believe it, Tommy. The harpy wasn't the first weird thing that's come after me. I'm going."

"But Abby -"

"But nothing, Tommy. I'm only telling you because I need to borrow some extra clothes," Abigail responded.

"What if I say no?"

"I'll take them anyway. Asking is merely a courtesy. I have actually picked up _something_ from Anne and mother."

"Did you?"

"Please don't tell them where I've gone, Tommy."

"You know I won't."

* * *

><p>Three years later, Abigail (who, it turned out, was a daughter of Athena) and Will (a son of Apollo) were in the arena at Camp Half-Blood, training. Joseph Hill, a satyr, came running into the arena.<p>

"What news do you have, Joseph?" Abigail asked.

"There were battles at Lexington and Concord in Massachusetts yesterday," Joseph told them. "Lots of the boys are talking about joining the Patriot army."

"I've been considering joining up if war broke out," said Will.

"I have too," admitted Abigail.

"You're a girl!" both of the boys exclaimed at once.

Abigail shrugged. "Need I remind you, you both thought I was a boy when you first met me. Separately."

The boys looked at the ground uncomfortably.

Several weeks later, Abigail and Will were at the camp's borders.

"Abby, I don't want you out there fighting!" Will insisted.

"You keep saying that, William, but you cannot stop me!" Abigail replied.

"What are you going to tell them your name is?" Will asked.

"I don't know, Anthony or something," answered Abigail.

"Abby, I don't like this," said Will.

Abigail smirked. "You never like my brilliant ideas, Will."

* * *

><p>A year later, they were in a makeshift hospital after what would later be called the Battle of Long Island. Abigail had been shot in the battle and Will was by her bedside.<p>

"I knew this would happen," Will told her.

"Yes… I think you did…" Abby replied.

"I certainly did," said Will.

Abby tried to reposition herself, but gasped in pain. "Well… Will… You're a… healer, aren't you? … Can't you… heal me?"

"You know I can't, Abby," Will said sadly. "It'd be too suspicious."

"Will…" Abigail said quietly.

"What?" he asked.

"If you ever… find my… my family… Would you… tell them… I'm… sorry?" Abigail whispered haltingly.

"Yes," replied Will.

"I'll… miss… you…" Abigail told him. "See you… in… Elysium… William."

"I'll miss you, too, Abby," William said.

Abigail never responded.


	2. Rebellion

Rebellion

Abigail, an impatient daughter of Hermes, was waiting in a safe house. She _hated_ waiting. But she had to.

She and Will had been sent to pick up a demigod living in Virginia. Usually, this would be no problem. She and the son of Demeter were well trained and it wasn't the first time they'd rescued a young half-blood.

The only snag was that this time, the half-blood was an escaped slave.

They had coordinated with demigods along the Underground Railroad, but it was always harder to fight monsters while traveling at night. And traveling during the day, they attracted far too much attention.

* * *

><p>After several days of travel, Abigail, Will, and Elizabeth (the half-blood they had rescued) finally reached camp.<p>

"If you're lucky, you'll be claimed soon," Will said as they crossed the border.

"Until then, you'll be with my cabin," Abigail told her. "Hermes Cabin is home for all the unclaimed campers."

"We'll show you around tomorrow, but first let's get some sleep," Will said.

"She has to talk to Chiron first, William," Abigail reminded him.

"Oh… right," replied Will.

* * *

><p>"Camp is under attack!" Elizabeth shouted, running through the field toward the cabins. "Arm yourselves!"<p>

Will turned to Abigail. "Abby, take the newer campers to Bunker 9. They'll be safe there."

"Will, I know you have this ridiculous need to protect me, but I'm not going to hide with the untrained and the strategists. They know where the bunker is. I'm going with you," Abigail responded. She looked over at the class of new campers they'd been teaching. "What are you waiting for? Go to the bunker!"

Their class took off running toward the forest.

"Are you sure about this, Abby?" Will asked.

"Of course I am, Will," replied Abigail. "Let's go kill some Romans!"

"Abby, I don't like this," warned Will.

"You never like my brilliant ideas, Will!" Abigail said.

* * *

><p>When Will was killed by a ruthless Roman soldier, Abigail <em>wished<em> she had hidden in the bunker like he'd asked. She would much rather have heard the story second hand instead of witnessing the event herself.

She only took the time to return the favour and nearly behead his murderer before dropping to her knees next to her friend.

"Will… please don't die," she pleaded. "Don't go. Just hold on. I'll find a healer." She started to stand up.

His hand found hers. "Stay," he whispered.

"But Will, you'll die," Abigail said quietly.

"I know," he replied. "But… I think I will either way… I don't… want to be alone."

"Alright, Will, I'll stay," Abigail promised.

"I'll… I'll miss you… Abby, good-bye," Will said.

"I'll miss you, too, Will," Abigail replied. "…good-bye."

* * *

><p>After the battle, Abigail walked to her favourite tree. She had an inexplicable sentimental attachment to it. It had a little sign next to it that said "Joseph" in hauntingly familiar handwriting. She dropped to the ground next to the tree. She leaned against it and pulled her knees up.<p>

Tears slid down her cheeks. "I'll miss you, Will."


	3. Rivets

Rivets

Will paced between two trees. He wasn't sure what to think.

He wasn't feeling much like a son of Ares right now. His half-brothers were all excited to fight. His half-sisters were upset that they couldn't. He didn't want to at all. but he figured he'd have to eventually. He wanted to talk to someone about it, but Abigail, his tough daughter of Hephaestus best friend, was nowhere to be found.

"Abby," he muttered as he pased, "where in Hades are you?"

"I like to think I'm not dead, Will," Abigail's familiar voice declared.

"Huh?"

"You asked where in _Hades_ I was," Abigail reminded him.

"Abigail, you know what I meant," said Will. She chuckled. He continued, "Did you hear? It's official - the US is at war with Japan."

"I'm sure we'll be fighting in Europe before too long, too," replied Abigail.

Will nodded. "While the attack was terrible, I still don't see why we have to go to war. This is 1941! Has no one figured out a way to solve problems more diplomatically than killing each other?"

"I never thought I'd hear that kind of talk from a son of the war god," said Abigail.

Will leaned against one of the trees - the one with the little sign that said "Joseph", although it was covered up by snow - and stared at her for a moment. "Abby, you know me well enough to know how much I hate fighting. My siblings think I'm crazy."

Abigail laughed. "I know, I know."

* * *

><p>Eventually, Will did join the army. He was sent to help the fight in Europe. Abigail and Will wrote to each other as often as they could.<p>

_Will,_

_Your sister Rita and I decided to apply for jobs at one of the factories that's making planes and tanks for the war. Wish us luck! I hope we get the jobs - it'll be nice to know we're helping._

_Are you alright over there?_

_Sincerely,_

_Abigail_

_Abby,_

_I'm fine for right now. You'll be the first over at Camp to know if I'm not. Whatever happens, you're in charge of telling my sisters._

_And as for your job idea… It sounds dangerous, Abby. I don't know if I like it._

_- Will_

_Will,_

_You never like my brilliant ideas! Not that it matters, we got the jobs! I'm a better tank mechanic than any mortal man could be. My boss agrees - he said my work is faster and better than the man whose job I took over when he left._

_And please don't say things like that, Will. You're going to come back safe and sound, and when you do, we'll have a party to celebrate the end of the war._

_I can't wait until you come back._

_Missing you terribly,_

_Abby_

_Abby,_

_I'm not surprised you're better than the men. You're better at mechanical things than most everyone at camp. Just be careful, alright?_

_I was just being realistic, Abby. But I'm hoping to make it back home._

_I can't wait until I go back home, either._

_Missing you as much as you miss me,_

_Will_

_Will,_

_Your "realistic" is my "depressing". You'll make it home. You have to._

_I'd miss you too much otherwise._

_I miss you __now__._

_- Abby_

_Abby,_

_I'll remember that._

_I'm doing my best to come back in one piece._

_Maybe this will be over soon._

_I want you to promise to stay in one piece, too. So be careful at that job of yours._

_- Will_

_Will,_

_I'm __always__ careful, Will. You know that._

_My sisters say hello, by the way. They've been pestering me to tell you that for ages, but this time they're reading over my shoulder, so I have to._

_Come home soon, Will. I miss you._

_- Abby_

_Abby,_

_I know, I know, just reminding you._

_Hello Hephaestus Cabin! Stop reading over Abby's shoulder._

_I don't really get a say in when I go home, but I miss you, too._

_- Will_

_Will,_

_Really I'm not sure how to say this. Or rather, write this._

_Yesterday, there was an accident at work. We were training some new workers - teaching them how to use the equipment and such - and one of them accidentally knocked some rather heavy tank pieces off of where we were working._

_Abby was with another new employee below us. We called to them, and Abby pushed the new woman out of the way, but wasn't fast enough to get herself clear, too._

_She was crushed, but she saved the other woman's life._

_I'm so sorry, Will._

_- Rita_

Will stood there frozen, reading and rereading Rita's letter. He couldn't believe it. If either of them was to die during this war, it was supposed to be him! He was the one fighting, after all.

Abby couldn't be gone. She couldn't be.

"Another letter from that Abby girl?" asked his friend Mitchell, looking at the page in Will's hand. "What'd she say this time?"

Will couldn't respond. He held the piece of paper out to Mitchell. After a moment's hesitation, Mitchell took it and read Rita's letter.

"Oh," he said quietly when he finished. His ever-present smile was gone. "Sorry, Will."

Will didn't say anything. He just nodded and took the letter back.

"Are you alright?" Mitchell asked.

Will stared down at the letter in his hand. He knew that Abby would want him to say yes, move on and go home.

"I will be."

* * *

><p>Rita was helping the Hephaestus Cabin girls gather up all of Abigails things when she found Abby's last, unsent letter to Will.<p>

_Will,_

_Thanks - they've stopped pestering me now. They're as anxious to see all of you guys come home._

_So don't do anything stupid!_

_We're training some new employees at work today. It should be interesting._

_And I know what your response to that will be - "Be careful, Abby!"_

_You know I always am, Will._

_You__ be careful. I hate to think what would happen if you weren't._

_I miss you, Will!_

_Your friend,_

_Abby_

* * *

><p><em>AN - There's one [and maybe another little bit but that one doesn't count] more after after this one. Should go up tomorrow-ish. That's where the explanation for the title is._


	4. Repetition

Repetition

"Hurry up, Solace! Lee isn't going to wait forever!" Abigail called impatiently.

The wind blew some of her light brown hair into her eyes, & she brushed it away. She looked annoyed, although her stormy grey eyes betrayed her amusement.

"Relax, Abby, we planned for this. We're early, remember?" Will reminded her.

"Right," said Abigail. "What kept you, anyway?"

"You'll think I'm crazy if I tell you," replied Will.

Abigail rolled her eyes. "We live at a camp filled with people who are half ancient Greek god, along with a bunch of satyrs and monsters. Our archery teacher is half _horse_. Try me, William."

"I just had this weird mental image pop into my head," Will began, "a girl about our age, maybe a little older, with blonde hair and grey eyes, dressed in 18th century boys' clothes. She was calling over her shoulder to me, like you."

"Weird indeed," agreed Abigail. "Did she say Lee was waiting, like I did?"

"No, that wouldn't make sense," Will replied. "She said something like 'Hurry up, Will, Joseph brought another new camper!'"

"Joseph is our tree's name," observed Abigail.

Will rolled his eyes. "I know that Abby."

"Weird," repeated Abigail. "Well, come on, Will. Lee is still waiting for us."

They started walking again. Will shouted to his brother, "Hey Fletcher! Wait for us!"

* * *

><p>Several years later, Will was injured in the Battle of the Labrynth. Abigail found him leaning against a tree.<p>

"Will?" she said, kneeling next to him. "Are you alright?" She started to stand. "I'm going to get one of your siblings."

His hand found hers. "Stay," he whispered.

"But Will, you're hurt," Abigail said. "You need help."

"Please stay, Abby," Will pleaded.

"Alright," she replied. But she called one of his brothers over to them. "Heal him," she ordered.

The boy did as he was told, then walked away to help other injured campers.

"Don't scare me like that, Will Solace," said Abigail shakily, pulling her friend into a tight embrace.

"What?" replied Will.

"I had this horrible feeling… Like we'd been here before. Like something horrible would happen if I didn't get you help. Almost… almost like it's happened before," Abigail explained.

"I know the feeling," Will said, thinking back to Abigail's most recent fall off the lava climbing wall.

"I can't lose you, Will. For some reason, I feel like I already have but got you back somehow. Part of me can't help feeling like you're gonna die or something," Abigail continued.

Will put a hand on her shoulder. "I'm alright Abby. We'll just be careful and we'll survive being teenagers. We'll be fine."

Abigail breathed slowly. "Yeah. We'll be fine."

* * *

><p>A year later, they were fighting again. This time, it was the final battle of the Titan War.<p>

"Abby? Abby! Abby, where are you?" Will called frantically. He had just lost another sibling - he was now the leader for the Apollo cabin. _Maybe Abby isn't here_, he thought. But no, she had to be. Everyone she wasn't, she was -

"Will?" her weak voice responded. He looked in the direction her voice was coming from. There she was, bloody, pale and weak, lying on a couch. But she was there, however badly injured. She was alive. And as long as she was alive, he could help her.

"Abby, you're hurt," he observed unnecessarily.

She laughed. It was ragged sounding, and she stopped quickly, holding her arm across her stomach and chest in pain. But any positive sound from her made Will want to sing. "Obviously," she replied. "You're a… healer, aren't you? …Heal me."

He gladly did so. When he was done, she still wasn't in the best shape - they had limited supplies, after all - but she certainly looked better.

"The others need you, Will," Abigail told him.

"Huh?"

"The leaders have been calling you for like two minutes now," Abigail explained.

"I don't want to leave you alone over here," he said.

She rolled her eyes. "I'll be fine. You're the best healer in Cabin 7. They need you."

"I don't like this, Abby," he responded as he stood up.

"You never like my brilliant ideas," Abigail said with a smile.

When he returned, she sat up, a look of concern on her face. "Will, you look pale. Are you alright? You didn't overstretch yourself again, did you?"

He sat down next to her. "A lot of people got hurt, Abby."

"Don't hurt yourself helping them. You're no good to the injured if you can't even take care of yourself," she reminded him.

After not nearly enough time, the fighting was to resume. Will wanted Abigail to stay behind, but she refused.

"Abby, I-" he began.

"Don't like this," she finished, rolling her eyes again. "Get over it, Will. I'm not leaving your side."

Will was secretly relieved that they wouldn't be separated again.

* * *

><p>"Ugh," Abigail said to announce her presence in the Apollo Cabin.<p>

"I suppose you want me to ask what's wrong," commented Will.

"Little Annie's so preoccupied with the search for her boyfriend that I've had to unofficially take over leadership duties with Malcom," Abigail complained.

"And what's wrong with being in charge?" asked Will.

"Oh, Will, you know how much I hate this stuff. That's why I was so happy to give Annie my job when she turned 12!"

"If you hated it so much, why did you hold onto the position for a year?"

Abigail rolled her eyes. "At 11, Annabeth wasn't ready for the job. We decided that the wisest course of action was for me, the eldest, to take the job until Annie, the camper who'd been here the longest, was ready for it."

"And at 12, she was mature enough to be cabin leader?"

"You know she was." Abigail sighed. "Anyway, she's really busy looking for Percy, so Mal and I get all the dull jobs."

Will chuckled. "It's not so bad. And it isn't permanent. She's borrowing our flying chariot right now - said she had a lead. Maybe it'll all be over soon."

"Maybe," Abigail repeated hopefully.

* * *

><p>Later that day, after Annabeth, Butch &amp; the three new demigods they'd found had crash-landed &amp; Will had finished showing Leo around, Will and Abigail met up outside the Athena cabin.<p>

"Annabeth is disappointed," Abigail told Will. "She's trying her best to hide it, but I can tell."

"She seemed pretty openly irked when I saw her," agreed Will.

"I guess that means this stupid being in charge thing isn't over yet," Abigail complained.

Will laughed. "While that's still hapening, consider chastising your sister for crashing our chariot?"

Abigail punched his shoulder lightly. "That would not be wise, Will."

"Probably not, with the state she's been in since Percy disappeared," replied Will. That was when they reached their unspoken destination. They sat down and leaned against the 200-year-old tree with the little sign next to it.

"Have you ever wondered why this tree has a name?" asked Abigail, staring at the sign. "But, you know, isn't a dryad's home?"

"I always thought it was a satyr a long time ago that became a tree when it died," replied Will. "Joseph would've been the satyr's name."

"Maybe," Abigail responded. "I bet Chiron knows. We can ask later."

They asked before dinner, and it turned out that Will was right.

When Piper was claimed, Abigail had to whack Will on the side of the head to stop him from staring. "You'd think that after eight years at camp, you'd be used to this, Solace," Abigail said with a laugh. "She's like 15 - she'd be off limits even if she didn't have her eye on Jason."

"I'm not staring, what are you talking about?" asked Will.

Abigail smirked. "I never actually said you were."

* * *

><p>Will and Abigail grew up.<p>

They went to college.

They fell in love & danced together at each others' weddings.

Abigail became a mother.

Will became a father.

They both became godparents (Abigail to Will's children and Will to Abigail's).

They lived next door to each other and their spouses eventually grew accustomed to their closeness.

Their children were best friends - particularly Abigail's son Billy and Will's daughter Gail. They took after their parents like that.

As they aged, Will and Abigail would have conversations that felt almost like deja vu:

"Abby, where in Hades did you go?"

"I like to think I'm not dead, Will."

"Beth got onto her school's baseball team!"

"Abby… she's a _girl_."

"What's your point? Girls can play baseball. Plus when you first met me, you thought _I_ was a boy. Further proof that you can't judge."

Sometimes Abigail would remember images of an 18th century boy with red hair and freckles, or a 19th century one with messy brown hair and green eyes that made her sad just remembering them, or a boy from the '40s with black hair and concerned brown eyes.

Will often recalled the girl with the blonde hair in the wrong clothes, and the perpetually unkempt looking girl with the mischievous brown eyes, and the girl with the short hair and the determined expression.

Each of these 6 people had a voice. They would each whisper "_I'll miss you"_ in a weak, scared, hurt sounding way that haunted Will and Abigail's nightmares for their whole lives - not that they ever told anyone but each other.

Needless to say, Abigail and Will stayed close for the rest of their lives (and for all eternity after that).

_A/N - Part four is up! You could arguably consider this the last part. But I'm also doing an epilogue of sorts, to be called "Blessed", and considering a series of short oneshots about the not featured adventures of the various Wills and Abbys. Or maybe other historical demigods. I'm not sure yet._


End file.
